Alta Bates Summit and the Oakland Athletics Partner to Support Stand Up To Cancer

On September 1, the Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer and the Oakland Athletics partnered to support Stand Up To Cancer, a Major League Baseball initiative to commemorate Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. All Major League players, coaches, and umpires wore gold-ribbon decals and wristbands to further promote awareness for childhood cancer, which is the leading cause of death by disease in children aged 15 and under in the United States.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center is proud to be the only provider of advanced radiation treatment for kids in the East Bay and the Oakland A’s went above and beyond to treat our patients and their families to a special pre-game experience. More than a dozen children were escorted onto the baseball field for batting practice and then lined up with A’s and Seattle Mariners players for the national anthem. Alta Bates Summit radiation oncologists Dr. Sravana Chennupati and Dr. Christine Chung also took part in the pre-game event and Dr. Chung threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Dr. Christine Chung and Dr. Sravana Chennupati took part in the pre-game festivities.

“It takes a collaborative effort to provide academic level care in a community hospital setting and we’re proud to be able to offer high quality care to young patients close to their homes,” says Dr. Chennupati. “Our entire team of nurses, therapists and staff members take really great care of these families and it was very special to see so many smiles at the game.”

All of the patients that attended the game also received a free replica Oakland Athletics jersey, gift bag and all the families sat in the same section of the stadium with the Comprehensive Cancer Center employees and physicians. Arrangements are also being made to ensure that patients that were unable to come to the game will also get an A’s jersey.

“The families were extremely touched when they were invited to the game,” says Donna Russell, RN, nurse manger, Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Services. “A few of our parents cried and remarked that they never had a chance to do special things like this and our team was building a memory for the entire family. This truly is magical on so many levels.”

Thank you to the Oakland A’s and our Comprehensive Cancer Center employees and physicians for their love and support of our pediatric cancer patients!